A Stubborn Side

We have had a busy week.  We went to San Diego for a little family reunion and Maddox got to meet his cousins.  Missy's girls love Maddox and were very sweet with him.  He also got to play with Becky's boys and had a lot of fun with them too.  Maddox loves the beach!  He loved the sand and was covered it in from head to toe every day we went.  He doesn't seem to mind the taste of sand and would repeatedly put it in his mouth or put sand toys in his mouth.  I'm sure he ate several handfuls each day.  But it kept him busy and he was such a good boy.  He wasn't a huge fan of the water but probably because it was cold.  He slept pretty well the nights we were there.  Overall, we had a great time and I feel like Maddox is finally at the point where he can adjust to being somewhere new easily.  He took good naps, slept well and was happy.
Maddox has decided to be even more picky and now will not eat fruit cocktail, peaches, cherries, or pears.  He does like bananas and has discovered oranges.  We went to a buffet while in San Diego and he ate about 10 orange slices.  Maddox still loves yogurt, hot dogs, pasta and watermelon.  Today, Maddox has shown me just how stubborn he is.  Over a span of 3 hours, Maddox and I had a nonstop battle of the wills.  Cuni's water and food is in the kitchen in the corner.  I have the table and chairs set up so that they create a barrier from wall to wall so Maddox can't get through.  Just in the last couple of weeks, Maddox has learned how to crawl through the legs of the chairs.  So today, he was determined to get to Cuni's food and water.  I kept telling him "no" and would pull him back through the chairs over and over again.  After about an hour of this, I decided maybe just holding him by the food and water and letting him see it up close would take away the novelty and his curiosity but I think it just made him want it more.  After another hour, I switched the chairs onto their sides and over the next hour, switched them about ten different times since Maddox is incredibly strong and can move them, lift them, and pull them to get through.  Needless to say, it has been a long day.  I am shocked at how stubborn and persistent Maddox is.  I have never seen this side of him.  Our battle ended with me finally arranging the chairs in a way that Maddox couldn't disarrange and him screaming and me putting him down for a nap.  On the bright side, Maddox seems to have inherited the part of Allan that makes him such a hard worker.  When he wants something, he goes after it and does not give up.  I, on the other hand am more of a procrastinator and tend to give up rather easily on things that aren't that important.  You would think that touching dog food and splashing a little bit of water wouldn't be worth a 3 hour battle but apparently, it is worth it to Maddox.  I love my little boy and I can't believe how fast he is growing up and how much of a little boy he is now.  He is showing us his personality and although stubborn and persistent, he is still loving and affectionate.  Each time I told him "no" and pulled him away from the dog food, he would cry and still let me hold him and hug him.  He doesn't hold grudges and forgives me immediately for not giving him what he wants.  Maddox is still my little sweetheart!

Birthday Questionnaire

1. What is your favorite color? Green (I think Maddox looks so cute in green and his blankie is green)
2. What is your favorite toy? His new house with shapes on the roof and anything that isn't a toy. Maddox loves blinds, remotes, phones, trashcans, toilets, cords, and the piano.
3. What is your favorite fruit? Watermelon
4. What is your favorite tv show? Dora La Exploradora
5. What is your favorite movie? Toy Story
6. What is your favorite thing to wear? Nothing! Maddox loves being naked.
7. What is your favorite animal? Dog, Maddox loves Cuni and loves his talking puppy (stuffed animal).
8. What is your favorite song? Any song with a beat... Maddox loves to dance!
9. What is your favorite book? Baby Animals and This Little Piggy
10. Who is your best friend? Mommy (or at least I like to think so)
11. What is your favorite snack? Veggie Straws
12. What is your favorite drink? Juice
13. What is your favorite breakfast? Yogurt and blueberry waffle
14. What is your favorite lunch? Hotdogs and watermelon
15. What is your favorite dinner? Pasta
16. What is your favorite game? this little piggy, dancing with Mommy, playing with Daddy
17. What is your favorite thing to play outside? swimming
18. What is your favorite holiday? N/A
19. What do you sleep with at night? His green blankie and his pacifier
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? I would say a lifeguard. Maddox loves to swim and loves the water. He also is very compassionate and affectionate and incredibly strong.

1 year old birthday

Maddox is one and officially walking.  He decided he'd rather walk than crawl on his birthday.  He is already a really good walker.  He had his doctor appointment on his birthday as well and had 3 shots.  I felt so bad for him.  He hates the doctor's office now because he can remember and recognize it as the place they poke him and make him cry.  Maddox is such a good boy though and only cried for a minute.  On Wednesday, his birthday, I made his favorite food for dinner- pasta and I made a strawberry shortcake since he loves strawberries.  It was just the 3 of us and was the perfect family birthday dinner.  Saturday, we had people over and swam and barbecued.   I made a giraffe cake that was shaped like the number one and it turned out pretty cute.  We had some of our good friends over, some families from our ward, and Becky and her family.  Maddox got some really cute clothes and fun toys even though I told everyone not to bring gifts.  It was really fun though and everyone adores Maddox.  I can't believe he is already one.  The time has flown by. 

Maddox is getting very picky and will now only eat peaches, watermelon and strawberries.  He used to like all sorts of fruit and I could just give him fruit cocktail.  So everyday he eats the same thing.  Yogurt and a waffle for breakfast, hot dog and peaches for lunch, and pasta for dinner.  I try to throw in more fruit and sometimes a baby food whenever I can just so that I feel like he's getting some kind of nutrition.  But he is still breastfeeding which makes me feel a little better about his eating habits.  Maddox has become more obedient lately.  He understands what "no" means and when I say it, he usually will stop and move on to something else.  I think he knows that if he doesn't listen, I will physically remove him from whatever he's doing anyway so he might as well do it.  He has been sleeping really well.  However, when he has had a busy day with friends or swimming, Maddox will wake up crying a couple times during the night but go right back to sleep.  I have to admit that I anticipate him waking up every morning to nurse and come into our bed.  I just miss him and I love nursing him in bed and sleeping next to him.  He is so wiggly and active now that when he's awake, he's never still.  So when he's asleep and nursing, we snuggle and I love it.  Maddox loves watching videos of himself and seeing pictures of himself.  I don't know if it's because he likes babies or if it's because he knows it's him.  Maddox also loves mirrors and still loves to read books.

We have been so blessed to have Maddox in our lives.  Allan and I always say that we didn't really know true happiness until we became parents.  I am so grateful for him and the person that he is becoming.  I am starting to see him develop into a little boy and although it's difficult and sad for me, it's also extremely exciting watching him progress and learn.  He is a sweet, loving, obedient and affectionate little boy.  He is shy and will often put his head down and his hands in his mouth when someone is looking at him or talking to him.  But he will always smile.  He is friendly and loves babies and other little kids.  I have had the best year of my life and I know it only gets better.    

Photo Shoot as a 1 year old

Grateful

Wednesday marks the one year anniversary of the birth of our little boy.  As the day approaches, I am overwhelmed with gratitude.  I feel so honored that I was chosen to be Maddox's mother.  I feel thankful for every moment I have spent with him.  There have been many precious moments when I have observed him enthralled with a book, turning the pages quietly.  Or when our eyes have met for several minutes while I nursed him or rocked him to sleep.  Although he can't understand my words yet, I hope my love for him is loud and clear.  I hope that when he feels my heart beat, he knows that it is filled with love for him.

Maddox is walking... a little bit.  He can walk but he chooses not to.  It's actually a little frustrating because I keep trying to help him by standing him up and then walking away, calling him to walk to me.  But he plops down immediately and crawls to me.  I think he's a little on the lazy side.  Plus, he is one fast crawler.  It's actually amazing watching him crawl across the room oftentimes faster than I can walk.  He usually just walks around the house using the walls and furniture as support so crawling is his last resort.  I'm sure eventually he will trust himself enough to let go.  Maddox still loves pasta and fruit and he still loves books.  He has been obsessed with the toilet recently which really grosses me out.  He has stuck his hand into the water a couple of times because he knows how to lift the toilet seat up.  I have been trying to keep him out of the bathrooms but it's hard when I need to do my hair or brush my teeth.  If I lock him out, he just pounds on the door and cries until I let him in.  I usually solve the problem by not doing my hair.  It's amazing how having a kid forces you to prioritize and figure out what things are truly necessary.  I've discovered that a shower and brushing my teeth are about all I get.  Maddox is still doing well at nights.  He wasn't feeling well and had a fever a couple nights ago and woke up several times.  But other than that, he has been sleeping until about 5 or 6 in the morning.  It's been really nice.  Maddox loves his daddy.  Allan always seems to get him to laugh uncontrollably.  It's the cutest thing watching them play.  And of course, Maddox says "dada" all the time.  I think he really knows what it means too.  He says "mama" too and he knows what that means but he only says it when he's crying.  Right now, Daddy is the "fun" parent and I'm the one that provides the food and comfort.  It's ok though.  I don't mind.  I'm so thankful for our little family.  And this week, I'm especially grateful for this past year of our lives.      

Sleeping through the night...at last!

I have to admit... I was right.  I know that a lot of people and a lot of other parents believe in the Cry it Out Method, the Interval Training Method, the "Close the door and walk away" Method and that's fine.  As for me, I believe that when the time is right, it will happen.  In the past, when I would try to sleep-train Maddox, it was miserable.  He was unhappy and I was unhappy and Daddy was unhappy and we were all sleep-deprived.  There was no progress and I always gave up after 3 or 4 nights.  But this time, the timing felt right and Maddox was ready.  Four nights ago, I decided I would stop nursing him at night and teach him to sleep in his own bed.  5:00 would be the earliest I would nurse him and let him into our bed.  When he would wake up, I decided I would just rock him back to sleep and put him back in his bed.  So night 1 was rough.  Maddox woke up 4 or 5 times and cried for about 30 minutes each time.  Night 2 was better.  He only woke up 2 or 3 times.  Night 3 he woke up once and last night- night 4... HE SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!  I was so excited and so proud of him.  Now, I know it's only one night so I am hoping that by writing this I'm not jinxing myself.  We'll see how tonight goes.  But contrary to my previous attempts, this time I am seeing progress.  I nursed him at 6:00 this morning and let him sleep with me for the rest of the morning.  I don't mind the co-sleeping at all.  In fact, the only reason I am sleep-training him is so that he learns he doesn't need to nurse all night.  And so that eventually I can move him into his own room probably within the next couple of months.  Although, I find myself feeling a lot of anxiety whenever I think about him sleeping in another room and not right next to me.  But for the sake of our marriage, I think it has to happen eventually and probably sooner rather than later.  Well after that big news, I feel like there isn't much more to say.  Maddox is still really close to walking on his own.  I'm sure it will happen any day now.  He knows who Cuni is and when I ask him where Cuni is, he looks at him.  No, he's not pointing yet and he's not clapping either but hey, at least he's understanding a little bit of what's going on around him.  Maddox is going through an awkward phase with his hair.  As his mother, I think he is beautiful and that includes thinking his hair is beautiful.  But to the world, he doesn't have good hair.  It's really long in the back and has a weird curly wavy thing going on but only in the back.  On top, his hair is straight and sparse.  So today we went swimming and after the sunscreen and chlorine, his hair was not looking its best.  Allan brought to my attention his hair issues and that's when I realized all of this.  But luckily, it's just a phase and I think it's because he is transitioning from his baby hair to little boy hair.  I still think he is gorgeous.  Anyway, Maddox is still a big eater.  The other day he ate a whole can of Spaghetti-o's and he can eat fruit and pasta for days.  We had his first experience in a bouncy house at a little girl's birthday party and he hated it.  He was really scared.  But I'm sure he will learn to like bouncy houses even though his dad wanted to teach him to like it now.  It's funny how the never-ending battle between Allan and me is my propensity to baby Maddox a little too much and Allan's propensity to toughen him up a little too much.  I'm sure we'll figure it out and find the right balance someday.  But for now, Maddox is my baby.  

Seconds Away...

Maddox is seconds away from walking. Every time I let go of his hand he stands there for a couple seconds on his own before realizing I'm not holding his hand anymore. Then he plops to the floor on his bum. It's like my mom said- he won't walk until he trusts himself even though he CAN walk. It's exciting though watching him learn. Maddy goes all around the house walking along furniture and pushing his toy. He has recently discovered how to throw things particularly food. He also loves closing or more specifically slamming doors shut. From day one Maddox has loved looking out our patio door. Unfortunately for both of us, there are blinds in the way. So of course, Maddox has smashed, ripped off, bitten off, and bent the blinds piece by piece. A couple days ago I decided to try and teach my 11 month old the consequences of destroying blinds. It just seemed like he knew what he was doing because he definitely understands what "no" means and each time I would say "no" he would just look at me and smile and keep playing with the blinds. Then when I would get up to remove him from the blinds, he would almost get excited and start hitting at the blinds faster and harder. So I thought I would teach him that it's not a game anymore. After putting him in "tiempo" or "time-out" several times which consisted of me keeping him in a sitting position facing a corner, nothing seemed to change. Maybe I was doing it wrong but more than likely, he's too young. Plus, I felt like a mean mom. After all, the blinds are right at eye and hand level for him and very accessible. And he definitely didn't seem to understand why I was making him sit in a corner. He of course didn't like it and cried but he looked pretty confused. I can admit that my first attempt at discipline was a complete failure. My approach so far and still is to remove from his access anything he's not supposed to play with or destroy and the rest is fair game. It's just easier that way. I hate feeling like I have spent my whole day saying "no" which is how I felt after the whole "tiempo" debacle. Anyway, Maddox is still enjoying books and his cartoons-Dora. He is getting a bigger appetite and loves fruit cocktail and spaghetti-O's. He has a ton of teeth now and is still biting everything. Maddy has been paying a lot more attention to Cuni (to Cuni's dismay) and has been getting a little better at being soft with him. Maddox loves swimming and his baths. He also loves playing the piano with Mommy. He is very vocal but doesn't seem to be close to talking. He screams and grunts and babbles baby talk but nothing coherent. Maddox has also learned to dance. It's the cutest thing. Whenever he hears a song he likes he starts bouncing and swaying from side to side. I love it! Well that's all that's really new. Hopefully in my next post I will be announcing that Maddy is walking.